In the hands of Enemies
by Echos11
Summary: The crew of the new USS Endeavour are called upon to investigate claims that the Tarsian Consortium is stirring up trouble on Angosia III. R&R pls!


Fan Fiction Story

**Star Trek: Endeavour**

"**In The Hands of Enemies"**

** CREW **

**Captain Jenna Watson- Commanding Officer,**

**Commander Adrian Valinski- Executive Officer,**

**Lieutenant Commander Min Gali- Second Officer / Chief Operations Officer,**

**Doctor Richard Sheridan- Chief Medical Officer**

**Lieutenant Susan Helena- Chief Science Officer,**

**Lieutenant Alejandro McKenzie- Chief Engineering Officer,**

**Ensign Min Kobal- Chief Helmsman**

**Ensign Shavtheron Zh'Gan- Astrometrics Officer**

**Ambassador T'Geth- Klingon Exchange Officer **

Prologue 

"_Captain's Personal Log, Stardate 58965.3_

"_The _Endeavour _has completed her maiden voyage from Earth to the Federation world of Bajor. The major 'bogies in the work' as Chief Engineer McKenzie calls the standard malfunctions of new ship- have been ironed out- although I am a little disappointed that the replicators still can't replicate a good mug of steaming hot chocolate. We are currently en route to Starbase Two-Thirty-Three to pick up extra crew. Maybe I'll have the technicians on Two-Thirty-Three to look at the replicators- or I may as well just make the damn drink myself."_

"I thought you said you'd looked at that station before Lieutenant?" Captain Jenna Watson said, clutching a pad in one hand and a mug of lukewarm hot chocolate in the other. Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Alejandro McKenzie emerged from a sea of wires and isolinear chips, frowning, holding several buzzing and glowing Engineering tools, "You can get the long range sensors and weapons to work- yet you can't fix a faulty LCARS interface?" she said grinning at the man, who didn't smiled back. In the few weeks that Captain and Engineer had known each other- Captain Watson had come to understand that as friendly as Lieutenant McKenzie was- he did not like any criticising his work. "I take it back." She said exasperated.

"It must be a faulty O.D.N line." He said quickly, throwing off the shackles of the wires and chips, and stuffing them back into the console, Watson straightened up, "I'll keep you informed."

"Good." She said as she put the rim of the mug to her lips and drank deeply. She took it away a moment later after only a mere drip of the hot chocolate, "And for heaven's sake Lieutenant, I want that replicator system fixed. I'm tired of drinking tepid hot chocolate- and getting the complete opposite when I order food." McKenzie mumbled that he would and Watson briskly turned and crossed the bridge of the _Prometheus-Class_ vessel, admiring the pristine condition of the walls and the dedication of her bridge crew, who worked at their station and talked quietly to themselves. As a rule, Watson wasn't a supporter of the standard no talking on the bridge rule, she preferred the _Laissez-faire_ approach- she liked to be relaxed around her crew- especially after she experienced the same approach under Captain Garibaldi of the _Persia_- she intensely enjoyed that assignment, and Garibaldi even sponsored her for Captaincy.

As she came to the Science Console, Lieutenant Susan Helena snapped to attention. Watson- far to use to this- quickly put her at ease and the woman seemed to only relax very slightly, "I won't bite." Watson said simply, placing her mug of hot chocolate on the edge of the console and tossing the pad from hand-to-hand. Helena seemed to fully relax now,

"Sorry Captain. I'm not usually like this." She said,

"Something on your mind Miss Helena?" the other woman asked smiling kindly and for the briefest of moments pain seemed to flash behind the Science Officer's eyes. But a moment later it was gone. Had she imagined it?

"No ma'am. I'm usually a little of wary of a new crew at first. It's a bad habit." The woman smiled, but the Captain's interest had been piqued by the woman's brief moment of pain and to Captain Watson- the smile seemed overly forced. She didn't want to press the matter in front of the bridge crew- and made a mental note to find the woman later that day- maybe when the two were off duty. But for now- she needed to act as though she had noticed nothing,

"Well, I think we've got a good crew here- so you needn't be wary Lieutenant." Helena smiled again and nodded, "Keep up the good work Lieutenant." She said as she picked up her mug with her left hand- the drink was stone cold now and she scoffed and called across, "McKenzie- replicators!"

"Yes Captain." Came the weary voice of the Engineer- who had, apparently, returned to the sea of wires. Smiling, she walked down to the single command chair, where First Officer Commander Adrian Valinski was standing next to it, looking out of the view screen at the many star lines as the ship warped on towards Starbase 233. The woman handed the man the mug and he looked at her with a puzzled look on his face,

"Don't just stand there Commander- put it somewhere out of the way- maybe in the material reclamation system." She said testily, taking her command chair, "I can't get a decent cup of hot chocolate anywhere can I?" she added raising her voice to make sure that McKenzie could hear her. When he didn't respond, she turned to Valinski who was still standing there, looking at her, "Well- are you going to follow my orders?"

"That was an order?" he said with a grin, but it was quickly scuppered by the frown that formed on the Captain's face. He nodded and moved off- and Watson heard him muttering, "I knew Starfleet wads glamorous- but notthis glamorous." Watson allowed herself a small smile, before picking up a pad that had been left on her chair- and was now resting on her lap. She sighed as she started to read it- an Astrometrics report from Ensign Zh'Gan. If it was anything like the man's attitude- which could rival a Vulcan's in sheer boredomness, then she was going to be asleep on duty.

When Watson had met the man for the first time, shortly after launch, she had wondered wether it had been right to ask him to stay on- after all, he didn't smile- and he certainly didn't have a sense of humour. She had tried at least 10 times to get to know the man since then- but each time, she had lost the will to live after five or ten minutes. She had decided to give up a few days before they arrived in Bajoran space. That had been a week or so ago and she had only seen the man once- as he came onto the bridge three days ago- so much for the idea he had a social life.

Bored to tears, after the first three sentences, Watson put down the pad and decided it would make ideal bedtime reading- she would fall asleep easily with all the numbers and stats that had been packed into the opening three lines of the report. She looked up around the bridge as Valinski re-entered the bridge- thankfully now without the mug of stone cold hot chocolate. She smiled at him and he smiled back- finding her mood suddenly lifted. He walked up to her and said in a light and warm tone, "Did what you asked- what other exciting orders have you got for me ma'am?"

"For one- you can help McKenzie get the ship up to scratch. I want her perfect by the time we get to Two-Thirty-Three." She said grinning, "Make the sensors your priority- they were fluctuating last night. Kobal told me."

"And the replicators?"

"Do I even need to tell you?"

"No ma'am." He nodded and crossed over to McKenzie and offered his support. Watson yawned and checked the time on her chronometer-, which was helpfully built into her chair arms. Another four hours till Beta Shift- and another four hours till she could relax on the ship's holodeck.

"Thank God." She muttered to herself. Even if the replicators weren't online- The Pheasant Inn could make a killer Hot Chocolate- and she was in need of one.


End file.
